Conditioning Ride 6-10-11

HR: 40

HRR: 56

HR10Min: 40

Miles: 8.5

Avg Speed: 3.9mph

Time: 2 hours, 19 minutes

After last week's coyote watch, it turned out Mac had fought with one of the targets. I had checked him over when he came back, but found nothing. So I was very surprised Wednesday morning when two abscesses broke open on his face. I was able to scrounge up some leftover antibiotics and gave him those along with some of Roxy's anti-inflammatories in the hopes of clearing it up at home. He already had an appointment with the vet for Friday, so I wasn't worried it would get bad before he got seen. Well, the antibiotics helped, but one of the wounds was up high on his face, and gravity pulled the fluid down under his jawline, effectively preventing it from draining properly. So when I took him in this morning, I knew he was going to have to stay and have drains put in his face.

Poor Mac looks like he's got the mumps!

The other two members of Team Fluffy, however, were healthy and energetic. It had been my plan all week to take the dogs for a quick ride today. Mac being at the vet certainly wouldn't stop us. Besides, he wouldn't be real thrilled to see overly obnoxious dogs when he got home anyway. So I loaded up to get them some exercise.

Before we left for our ride, I went ahead and nailed a pair of shoes on Hoss's hind feet. I'm definitely not going to be able to purchase and test drive a pair of boots before the ride next week.

When I started up the truck, I quickly realized I was in the "danger" range on the fuel level. Somehow I didn't think it was quite that low since the last time I'd used it. Granted, it sat for a week, so I suppose I shouldn't be surprised I forgot how low it was. After some debate, I decided to ride at the Steel Bridge. That way, I could stop by the post office, get gas, ride, and run any errands afterwards.

Hoss was feeling good for this ride. Once we got past the nasty little water crossing, I pushed him forward into a trot, and he moved out with spirit. But I noticed that ever so slight, maybe I'm crazy for seeing it head bob again. Despite that, Hoss was not interested in slowing down, so I let him continue forward. I figured if it didn't go away, maybe getting him going on it would finally reveal the problem. He's had no swelling, no heat, nothing apparent in any way to tell me why he's having this problem.

On our way down the trail, we came across some people on foot. Hoss loves people. Usually I make him continue on and ignore any people we meet, but just for fun, I decided to let him stop to see what he would do. Well, he just about stuck his head in the first person's hands! It's funny to see how people-oriented he is. He poked his nose at each of the delighted people on the trail to ask for a quick pet before we got on our way.

I was still contemplating Hoss's almost-lame thing as we trotted along the rocky road section. It seems his trot is not as smooth as I'm used to it being lately. As we trotted along, though, the almost-lame went away entirely, and I still had no clue why it might have been happening. His trot even smoothed out a bit and felt more normal.

After we crossed the cowboy gate, I decided I didn't want to take him up the super-steep hill to the gazebo, so I directed him up an alternate route that cuts the gazebo out. I didn't ask him to trot up the hill. He hates to trot uphill, and I didn't see any real point in fighting him on it. This trail was cut largely by bicyclists, so it is narrow and has a rut at its center. It is not very ideal for horses, and less so for horses trying to go faster than a walk.

When we reached the top, having gotten a little tired and annoyed by Hoss's snatch and snack antics up the hill, I pushed him into a trot over the flat area and partly down the slope. He seemed a bit rushy on the downhill side.

Hoss wanted to rush down the hill a bit. I checked him back several times, and did think I felt that slightly-off thing more than once as he went down the hill.
By the time we hit the bottom, though, it was gone yet again.

We trotted back through the rocky road and to the water crossing. After crossing the water, Hoss really wanted to take off. It was all I could do to keep him together long enough for me to be the one to give the command to go fast. He even tried to run out of the river bottom, which I hate with all the overgrown plant life trying to remove me from his back.

We got a good gallop in, and when Hoss slowed down, he took two or three very definitely bad steps on the same front leg I've been thinking he's having problems with. I let him trot, which he was enthusiastic about and again not limping. While we were crossing the bridge, he got really rushy on the down side of the bridge.

I contemplated this maybe he's off, maybe he's not think on the way back to the trailer. About half a mile out, it suddenly hit me. This problem is very recent. I didn't notice any trouble until after our little trailer wheel wrecking episode of a couple of weeks ago. That must have been a wild ride in the trailer. It wouldn't surprise me in the least if it bounced him around enough to cause some minor damage. I think if I can get the chiropractor out, that's really all he needs. I did notice a few days ago that his back was sore in a weird place, but that's gone now. I think this could easily go away on its own, but if the chiropractor can see him before the ride, all the better!

After I had untacked and loaded Hoss in the trailer, I got the dogs in the truck and headed out to get a couple of things done. I stopped at the bank and topped off the tank in the truck (I hate the station I had originally stopped at, so hadn't filled the tank completely.) After filling the truck, I called ahead to the pizza place for a take out pizza. I knew I would need to make the trek to pick up Mac, and I was starved. I stopped at the feed store for a few small items, and took the horse and the two dogs home.

Post-drains, now  Mac looks like Frankendog

I fed everybody before I hopped in the Jeep to go get Mac. I tried to call to make sure they were done with him, but didn't get through. I figured they had to be done with him by then. It was 7pm, after all! Mac was happy to see me and cried most of the way home. He has two drains in his face. It's clear he's more comfortable, but one of the drains must itch like the devil. I keep having to correct him for scratching. Around here, a dog in a cone can't get down the hallway, let alone out the pet door, so we take our chances.

A very good ride was had by those who went, and now I have sleepy dogs lounging about the house. All is (nearly) as it should be.